Bumper-operated vehicle braking mechanism



April 7, 1931- J. w. sA'FMAN BUMPER OPERATED VEHICLE BRAKING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 18. 1929 2 Shets-Sheet 1 April 7, 1931. J. w. SAFMAN 1,799,647

- BUMPER OPERATED VEHICLE BRAKING MECHANISM I Filed Dec. 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 7, I931 V Y i j NEE rare is their Issac J OSEPErW. ISAFMAN, on PATEESQN, v Bunsen-OPERATED ve -irons sis-name srnc rnivrsivr Application filer ileceniber 18, 1929. serial sunsets.

This invention relates to automobiles and shown in Fig. 1, by a pairofsprings 1,2interits principal object is to provide means, simposed between the bumper and the front ple and inexpensive in construction and guides 8. The springs should'oppose littlecapable of being applied to any automobile resistance torcar'ward displacement of said already existing,'whereby when a person or structure so that the latter will readily-yield 55 other object is -struck the brakes will be set'so' rearwardly to set the brakes as will appear, as preferably to lock the wheels positively thus to check the vehicle in'every case possible against rotation. In the best form of my inbefore serious injury is" done to a person or vention the same is applicable to automobiles object struck or to the vehicle itself. n having four-wheel brakes as well as brakes Each front wheel 13' has its hub 13a (jourso only on the rear wheels, and to this end the naled on a spindle 4) formed with a brake mechanism is so constructed as to be accomdrum l l formed open at the inner side and modated to the steering movements of the through which the-spindle '4: projects from front wheels. In the best form there is, its pivotal portion 5. This'drum' has an infurther, provision whereby the brakes may side peripheral surface which is notched, at. 65 bet set by the driverof the vehicle by hand 14a asshownin Fig. 2. The'spindle 4 has a so as to stop the vehicle before the person or disk 15 which closes the inner otherwise open other obstruction is actually struck. 7 "side of this drum and this diskis formed In the drawings, with an arcuate flange 15a withinthe drum Fig. l is'a plan of the chassis of an automoand close to its notched surface.- Pivoted to 70 bile embodying this invention; this flange 15a at each end thereof'is an Fig. 2 is a section taken generally on line arcuate brake member 16 having spaced teeth 22, Fig. 1, but also through certain parts 16a and also having abridge-piece 16 sewithin a front wheel drum curedthereto at each end and arranged in a Fig. 3 is a'plan'of a detail; chord thereof. To the-middle of each bridge- 75 Fig. 4 is a section on line ls-+4, Fig. 2; piece is attached a link 17 pivotally connect- Fig. 5 is a section taken generaly on line ing thesame with a sleeve 18ftelescopically 5-5, Fig. but also through certain parts guidedby a tubular stem 19 which projects i radially from the spindle i. A spring 20,

within a rear wheel drum;

Fig. 6 shows a modification of the detail interposed between the spindle 4c and the in- 80 appearing in Figs. 3 and 4; and ner end ofthe'sleevanormally acts through Fig. 7 illustrates how manual control of the the sleeve and links to hold the brake membraking mechanism is accomplished. bers 16"'retracted. To the upper end of the 1 indicates the automobile chassis having sleeve is attacheda cable 121 whichextends V the rear axle 2, provided with the wheel through the sleeve and stem andaround'a 85 spindles 2a-Fig. 5, and the front axle 3, propulley 22 journaled axially in the spindle, vided withthe front wheel tubular bearing reaching through a hole '23 in the adjoin- V spindles 4 pivoted at 5 to turn in the forks ing fork 3a, whereupon it extends around a 3a of the front axle for the-purpose of steerpulley 24: on said fork and rearward, itsrear ing, for which purpose these spindles may be end being attached by a clip 25 to the .ad- 9 7 connected together and with the steering joining rod 10. I

wheel 6 in any well known way, 7 is one Each rear wheel 24. (j-ournaled' on axle of the springs by which the chassis is supspindle'2a) hasits hub formed also wit-hla ported on the front aXle. brakedrum 25 formed open at the innerside In any suitable guides 8 and 9 at the sides but closed by the disk 26 (Fig.1) on spindle of the chassis slide a pair of longitudinal rods 2a which disk h as an 1 arcuate flange 27 with- 10 and these are connected at their front ends in the drum. The inner periphery of. the i by a bumper 11, which may be of any usual drum is notched, at 27a, and pivoted to the type. The structure formed by these rods ends of flange 27 are the arcuate brake memand bumper is normally held forward, as 'bers 28 having spaced teeth 28a and also the bridge-pieces 28 secured thereto at each end and arranged in chords of the drum. To the middle of each bridge-piece is attached a link 29 pivotally connected with one end of a lever or rocker 30 which is fulcrumed in the disk 26," its axial portion protruding through the disk and having a crank 31 to which the rear end of the adjoining rod 10 is pivotally connected.

The two rods 10 may be connected by a cross-bar 32 which extends through or is otherwise connected with a hand lever Thus if the vehicle bumper encounters some obstacle, as a person, it will. be repressed, and this action will be transmitted through the structure formed by the bumper and rods 10 to the described braking mechanism of both front and back wheels, which mechanism' stops the rotation of the wheels, in the present case positively, because the teeth of the brake members engage the notches of the wheel drums. vAlso, if the lever 83 is shifted,

the braking of the vehicle willhe effected in. the same way. 7

The brake members in all cases obtain a very efiective grip on the wheel drums not only because of the teeth-and-n-otch engagement possible but because they are so arranged and operated that the full length of each is active uniformly on the drum, this being'largely due to the bridge pieces which vapply the pressure to widely spaced portions of the brake members. 1

By utilizing cables, as 21, guided in the manner shown, it is possible to operate the front wheel braking mechanism notwithspool 34 forming part of a spindle 35 whichis journaled in a bearing 36 on the axle and also in a bearing 87 on the chassis (sliding in the latter bearing as the springs yield), said spindle having a pinion 38 meshing with a rack 39 which may be secured on rod 10.

If the mechanism remains in braking engagement with the drums after application of the brakes, due to interlocking of 2804 with 27a, the lever 33 may be used to release the mechanism.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is: l I

1.-In combination, the front pair and rear pair of supporting wheels of an automobile, said front pair having hollow brake drums, a chassis-including supported structure carried by said wheels and on which they are journaled, the journal portions of said structure for the front wheels being tubular and pivotally movable for'steering, another structure movable rearwardly in the first structure and" including a front bumper,-a brake mechanism arranged in each of said brake drums, and means, connecting the brake mechanism with the second structure and ex tending through said tubular journal per-- tions, for transmitting braking movement to said mechanisms from said second structure on contact oi the bumper with an obstacle in the forward path of the vehicle.

2. in combination, the front pair and rear pair of supporting wheels of an automobile, said ont pair having hollow brake drums, a chassis-including supported structure carried by said wheels and on which they are journaled, the journal portions of said structure for the front wheels being tubular and pivotally movable for steering, another structure movable rearwardly in the first structure, a brake mechanism arranged in each of said bra-ire drums, afieizible connection attached to each brake mechanism and extending longitudinally through each tubular journal portion 1 cnen bent rearwardly and attached to the second structure, and guides on the chassis for said connections at the bends therein, whereby on rearward movement of the sec structure to operate said brake mechanisms.

3, In combination, with a vehicle chassisincluding supported structure having a tubular wheel journal portion pivotally movable for steering, a wheel on said ournal portion having a hollow brake drum, a braking means movable inthe drum into braking con tact therewith, a slidable member movable radially of and guided by said ournal portion and operatively connected to the braking meansto move therewith, a spring normally holding said slidable member and braking means in the position in which the latter is retracted from the drum, and means, extending through said journal portion to the chassis, to move said slidable member against the tension of the spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

TOSEPH W. SAFMAN. 

